Critical book Review :

Robert blackey in book “Words to the Whys: Crafting Critical Book Reviews” said “Critical book
review is a critique consists of thoughts, responses, and reactions. It is not necessarily negative.
Nor do you need to know as much about the subject as the author. The skills you need are an
ability to follow an argument and test a hypothesis. Regardless of how negative or positive your
critique is, you need to be able to justify and support your position.

Critical Book Review example :

IMVISIBLE MAN
BY Ralph Ellison

An extremely powerful story of a young Southern Negro, from his late high school days through
three years of college to his life in Harlem.
His early training prepared him for a life of humility before white men, but through injustices-
large and small, he came to realize that he was an "invisible man". People saw in him only a
reflection of their preconceived ideas of what he was, denied his individuality, and ultimately did
not see him at all. This theme, which has implications far beyond the obvious racial parallel, is
skillfully handled. The incidents of the story are wholly absorbing. The boy's dismissal from
college because of an innocent mistake, his shocked reaction to the anonymity of the North and
to Harlem, his nightmare experiences on a one-day job in a paint factory and in the hospital, his
lightning success as the Harlem leader of a communistic organization known as the
Brotherhood, his involvement in black versus white and black versus black clashes and his
disillusion and understanding of his invisibility- all climax naturally in scenes of violence and
riot, followed by a retreat which is both literal and figurative. Parts of this experience may have
been told before, but never with such freshness, intensity and power.
This is Ellison's first novel, but he has complete control of his story and his style. Watch it.

Book Review :
A book review is a guide for potential readers. In a concise manner, a review summarizes the
author's qualifications and main points, often providing examples from the text. A review also
provides an opinion on whether the author succeeds or not in convincing readers of his or her
points.
Critical Book Thesis :
The thesis may focus on an analysis of one of the elements of fiction, drama, poetry or nonfiction
as expressed in the work: character, plot, structure, idea, theme, symbol, style, imagery, tone, etc.
Example:
In “A Worn Path,” Eudora Welty creates a fictional character in Phoenix Jackson whose
determination, faith, and cunning illustrate the indomitable human spirit.
Note that the work, author, and character to be analyzed are identified in this thesis statement.
The thesis relies on a strong verb (creates). It also identifies the element of fiction that the writer
will explore (character) and the characteristics the writer will analyze and discuss (determination,
faith, cunning).

The thesis may focus on illustrating how a work reflects the particular genre’s forms, the
characteristics of a philosophy of literature, or the ideas of a particular school of thought.
Example:
“The Third and Final Continent” exhibits characteristics recurrent in writings by immigrants:
tradition, adaptation, and identity.
Note how the thesis statement classifies the form of the work (writings by immigrants) and
identifies the characteristics of that form of writing (tradition, adaptation, and identity) that the
essay will discuss.
Book Review :
Horseman
By Christina Henry
Christina Henry’s Horseman is an atmospheric and haunting reimagining of Washington
Irving’s “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow,” perfect for both fans of classic horror and those new to
the tale of the Headless Horseman. Henry’s retelling centers on 14-year-old Bente “Ben” Van
Brunt, the grandson of Katrina Van Tassel and Brom Bones, whose tale-as-old-as-time romance
once sparked rumors of the ghostly Horseman and ran a gangly, awkward schoolmaster named
Ichabod Crane out of town. When a child is killed, supposedly by the shadowy folkloric monster
the Kludde, the usually sleepy little town of Dutch descendants erupts into chaos as more
murders ensue and people point fingers at the Horseman and each other.
The orphan Ben has lived his entire life in this small town with his Oma Katrina and Opa Brom.
Ben, who is transgender, experiences much frustration with fellow townsfolk who insist on
repeatedly misgendering him and accusing him of witchcraft, a traditionally feminine stereotype.
Henry’s depiction of Ben’s experience as a trans boy feels a little forced, bordering on
stereotypical. There are several descriptions of him being a “boy soul in a girl’s body,” as well as
an assumption that he will not be able to have a family or children.

But there is even more that sets him apart from the other folks in the Hollow. Ben can hear
whispers in the woods at the end of a forbidden path, and he has visions of the Horseman, who
says he is there to protect him. And perhaps worst of all, he’s the only person who actually wants
to leave the tightknit community marked by old wives’ tales and superstitious secrets.

With visceral visions of nightmares, creepy prose and a pace as fast as the rush of horses’
hooves, Henry’s take on Irving’s classic story is a one-sitting read, a chilling romp into the forest
that will remind readers that sometimes the scariest monster in the room is human nature (not
even pumpkin-headed horsemen or the author’s horrifying twist on Ichabod Crane’s fate). While
there are some truly shiver-inducing, gruesome scenes in which victims of the Kludde are
discovered decapitated and handless, Henry depicts the evil that resides inside the human
inhabitants of the Hollow as the most terrifying form, from racism and bigotry to transphobia and
the sexualization of children.

Ben has staunch allies in his best friend, Sander; his Opa Brom; and eventually his Oma Katrina
—not to mention in his guardian Horseman—but the closed-mindedness of the Hollow, and the
nefarious intentions of some of its inhabitants, create a stifling atmosphere, one ready to erupt
into flames from the strike of a single match. Readers should also be aware that Henry frequently
includes dialogue that reflects the transphobic and sexist beliefs many people held during the
Colonial era, while also depicting customs that reflect such beliefs. As Ben unravels the
energetically paced mystery and makes connections between the death of his parents and the
recent murders, he will inspire readers who love their families but long to forge their own paths.

Critical Analysis of Book :

Anissa Gray’s The Care and Feeding of Ravenously Hungry Girls:

I am still dipping my toes into the literally fiction pool, finding what works for me and what
doesn’t. Books like The Care and Feeding of Ravenously Hungry Girls by Anissa Gray are
definitely my cup of tea.
Althea and Proctor Cochran had been pillars of their economically disadvantaged community
for years – with their local restaurant/small market and their charity drives. Until they are found
guilty of fraud for stealing and keeping most of the money they raised and sent to jail. Now
disgraced, their entire family is suffering the consequences, specially their twin teenage
daughters Baby Vi and Kim.  To complicate matters even more: Kim was actually the one to call
the police on her parents after yet another fight with her mother.

Critical book review :

A critical review is not merely a summary of the book’s contents (though that may be included)
but primarily an evaluation of its strengths and weaknesses. Nor does “critical” mean bad-
mouthing the book; it means you must decide what is good and bad about the book and why.
You may wish to ask some or all of the following questions about the book as you read:

 What is the author’s main argument? Is the thesis readily apparent? Is it convincing?
(There may be sub-theses as well.)
 What is covered, and do you wish there were more or less? What? Why?
 Is the book logically constructed, or is it confusing, repetitive, etc.? How else could it
have been written?
 Does the author have a bias, and how does that affect the book? (It may actually help it.)
If the author has a viewpoint, does he or she provide enough information so that one can
form one’s own judgments of the evidence?
 Is the level appropriate? Is the book easy to read, or did it frustrate you? Why?
 Even without expertise you can quickly tell whether a book depends on such primary
materials as documents, diaries, and letters, or whether it is all drawn from second-hand
general texts. Judge accordingly.
 Any time you quote, give unusual information, or argue controversial points, you should
cite the source in a way that is designed to lead the reader easily to that source. Does the
author do this properly? (Incidentally, you should do it in your review.)
 What are the general points which emerge from the book (these are some-times different
from the thesis argued), and are they acceptable or useful?
 General value. How useful might the book be to a specialist in this field, or to a student
investigating the subject matter for the first time? (What an expert finds useful might be
far too complex for the novice reader.)

If your topic gives no directions about how to organize the review, you might begin by listing
what you see as the book’s most important strengths and weaknesses, then construct your thesis
accordingly; for example, “Although Mary Smith’s The Lost Continent is clearly organized and
thorough, its arguments about colonization are ultimately unconvincing.” Such a thesis would
help guide the structure of your essay: first analyze Smith’s organization and thoroughness, and
then discuss the weakness of her arguments. Try this approach as a starting point.

Critical book thesis:

A critical book review, as well as giving information about a book, expresses an opinion on the
book. ... It includes a statement of what the author has tried to do, evaluates how well (in the
opinion of the reviewer) the author has succeeded, and presents evidence to support this
evaluation.
How to write critical book report ?
Based on the writing center of university of wisconsin, how to write critical a book report
1. Overview
When you are asked to write a critical review of a book, you will need to identify, summarize,
and evaluate the ideas and information the author has presented.
Understanding the Assignment
To write a good critical review, you will have to engage in the mental processes of analyzing
(taking apart) the work–deciding what its major components are and determining how these parts
(i.e., paragraphs, sections, or chapters) contribute to the work as a whole.
2. Write the introduction
Introduce your review appropriately
Begin your review with an introduction appropriate to your assignment.
If your assignment asks you to review only one book and not to use outside sources, your
introduction will focus on identifying the author, the title, the main topic or issue presented in the
book, and the author’s purpose in writing the book.
3. Write the body
The body is the center of your paper, where you draw out your main arguments.
Organize using a logical plan
First,summarize, in a series of paragraphs, those major points from the book that you plan to
discuss; incorporating each major point into a topic sentence for a paragraph is an effective
organizational strategy. Second, discuss and evaluate these points in a following group of
paragraphs. (There are two dangers lurking in this pattern–you may allot too many paragraphs to
summary and too few to evaluation, or you may re-summarize too many points from the book in
your evaluation section.)
Alternatively, you can summarize and evaluate the major points you have chosen from the book
in a point-by-point schema. That means you will discuss and evaluate point one within the same
paragraph (or in several if the point is significant and warrants extended discussion) before you
summarize and evaluate point two, point three, etc., moving in a logical sequence from point to
point to point. Here again, it is effective to use the topic sentence of each paragraph to identify
the point from the book that you plan to summarize or evaluate.
4. Write the conclusion
You will want to use the conclusion to state your overall critical evaluation.
You have already discussed the major points the author makes, examined how the author
supports arguments, and evaluated the quality or effectiveness of specific aspects of the book or
article.
Now you must make an evaluation of the work as a whole, determining such things as whether or
not the author achieves the stated or implied purpose and if the work makes a significant
contribution to an existing body of knowledge.
Consider the following questions:
Is the work appropriately subjective or objective according to the author’s purpose?
How well does the work maintain its stated or implied focus? Does the author present extraneous
material? Does the author exclude or ignore relevant information?
How well has the author achieved the overall purpose of the book or article? What contribution
does the work make to an existing body of knowledge or to a specific group of readers? Can you
justify the use of this work in a particular course?
What is the most important final comment you wish to make about the book or article? Do you
have any suggestions for the direction of future research in the area? What has reading this work
done for you or demonstrated to you?